| How to Prevent an Electrical Fire During the Holidays Dec 6th 2012, 02:00 During the holidays, it is common for people to decorate the inside and outside of their home with lighting, and other types of electrical accessories. Although most decorations are manufactured to withstand the holiday season, improper and unsafe usage can increase your chances of experiencing an electrical fire. However, with the proper safety measures, you can prevent electrical fires from occurring, and keep both your home and your family safe. Use this article as your guide for learning how to prevent an electrical fire from occurring during the holiday season. General Electrical Fire Prevention - Use holiday decorations that have been approved for safety by national laboratories. Decoration packaging will contain seals or labels that indicate the product is safe to use in your home. Using decorations that lack a safety approval may be hazardous, and can trigger an electrical fire.
- Inspect the physical condition of all electrical decorations before use. Electrical decorations should not display any loose or frayed wires, loose or cracked bulbs, or any other physical faults. If these features are present, avoid using the decorations to prevent an electrical fire.
- Refrain from plugging multiple electrical decorations into one specific outlet. Some outlets cannot support multiple connections, and may become overloaded and trigger an electrical fire as a result.
- Plug your decorations into multiple outlets, and read the instructions included with your decorations to determine the safest method for use.
- Replace bulbs in light strings with those of the same wattage, when applicable. If you replace a bulb with a higher wattage than is required, you can potentially cause the entire string of lights to overheat and start a fire.
- Turn off or unplug all electrical decorations when leaving the house or going to sleep. Leaving your decorations unsupervised means that nobody is around to notice any fire that might start. Lights and other electrical components become overheated due to being left on for an extended period of time.
Outdoor Electrical Fire Prevention - Only use lights and electrical decorations that are approved for outdoor use. Outdoor lights and decorations are often manufactured to withstand rain, snow, and other harsh elements. Using decorations that are approved for indoor-use only may trigger an electrical fire when coming into contact with certain elements.
- Thoroughly read and inspect all decoration packaging to verify that the decorations are safe to use outdoors.
- Use a ladder made from wood, fiberglass, or plastic instead of metal. Using a ladder made from materials other than metal will reduce your risk of becoming shocked, or starting an electrical fire.
- Keep all extension cords and strings of lights suspended up and away from standing water and snow. If extension cords and wiring come into contact with standing water, they can trigger an electrical fire or cause electrocution.
- Place decorations away from major power lines and high-voltage areas. This can prevent electrocution and an electrical fire from starting in the event you accidentally come into contact with a high-voltage power line.
Indoor Electrical Fire Prevention - Buy fresh, green trees instead of trees that are dry and losing pine needles. Fresh trees are less flammable and less likely to ignite; whereas dry trees can catch fire when they come into contact with very warm or hot lights.
- Purchase a fire-resistant or flame-retardant tree if you decide on an artificial tree instead of a live tree.
- Place your tree in a position at least 3 feet (90cm) away from heat sources. Heat sources such as radiators, space heaters, fireplaces, and heat vents can often cause your tree and its electrical decorations to catch fire.
- Water your tree on a daily basis or as needed to keep it fresh. By maintaining the freshness of your tree throughout the holiday season, you are reducing the risk of an electrical fire that could be caused by decorations igniting a dry tree.
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